Sumud Ensemble has been alive and growing for the past two years, gathering community together through cultural festivals, workshops and theatre works that uplift and humanise Palestinian culture and people. Working from Māori frameworks, we bring together Palestinian, tangata whenua, tangata Tiriti and tauiwi artists and community members to create spaces grounded in manaakitanga, creativity and solidarity.

Born in response to the genocide in Gaza, Sumud Ensemble emerged from an urgent need for spaces where people could gather, connect and create together. Our work is guided by the principles of sumud — often translated as steadfastness or manawanui, but to us meaning not just surviving oppression but continuing to grow, create and imagine beyond it. We are also guided by manaakitanga, kotahitanga and courage. We believe struggles for liberation are interconnected and seek to create spaces where communities impacted by colonisation can stand together, share stories and imagine new futures.